The Ensuing Train Wreck
by AmericusyoungXoXo
Summary: Loneliness had become normal for Carlisle- he simply assumed that he would never find his mate, and he had even learned to accept it over the last few hundred years. That is, until Aurora Gray came into his life. She was a young and vibrant up-and-coming model, though, and he couldn't rip that away from her, right?
1. First Encounter

**Hello, everyone!**

 **I know what you're all thinking, another new Twilight story?!**

 **I know, I know.**

 **I feel really "ahead" of things on my other two Twilight stories, and I've always been dying to write a Carlisle x OC one, seeing as I've only ever written involving the wolf pack.**

 **And so, here we are! I look forward to hearing what you all think about it, please leave me some opinions and suggestions in reviews!**

 **XXX**

 _New York City, February, 2000, Fashion Week_

Aurora Gray.

The country's, ironically, biggest up-and-coming model.

And Fashion Week was her debut.

What better way to enter the modeling industry than with the biggest fashion and modeling event of the year?

Marchesa had picked her up the previous fall, despite her being, vertically-challenged, per-say, and deemed her the perfect model. She was bubbly, she was charming, she was unique, and most importantly: she was jaw-dropping.

Aurora Gray was all anyone could talk about.

And just because they were vampires, the Cullens were certainly among those who couldn't stop talking about her.

"Oh just look at her, Carlisle! Have you ever seen someone so stunning?" Alice gushed, gesturing wildly towards the television.

Carlisle shook his head and chuckled, not even bothering with looking over at the tv, "As a matter of fact, I have. I look at you and Rosalie every day." He smirked, Alice's eyes narrowing.

She scoffed and pressed the ' _off_ ' button on the remote, plopping back down into the leather couch. Jasper chuckled behind her and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple, irritability washing away from her being.

Carlisle's phone began ringing, the doctor standing up to leave the room as he answered it.

"No, I'm not busy. What is it?"

He paused.

"Oh that's nothing too bad, I'll be right down!"

The phone clicked shut as he reentered the room, Rosalie's eyes flickering up to him from the countertop. She smirked as she looked to Alice and back, wiggling an eyebrow. Carlisle silently warned her, Edward chuckling as he read their thoughts.

"Alice-"

"Rosalie, _no_!"

"Carlisle is going to work on Aurora Gray right now!"

Carlisle groaned and ran a hand through his hair as Alice's mouth dropped agape, "You are?!" she squealed, her hands clapping together in excitement.

He chuckled in response and nodded, "Its just a small laceration on her leg that needs some stitches." he shrugged on his jacket and grabbed his keys as he headed out the door.

He arrived at the Skylight Clarkson Square where Fashion Week would be held that year, entering through a back door as to avoid any media. He was led to a dressing room by security, the door opening to reveal a bright and unusually airy room.

"Oh, there you are! Thank goodness you're here, we absolutely must fix this, _imperfection_ , on my client." A thick woman came bustling towards him, chattering at a million miles an hour.

He abstained from chuckling at her worrying, nodding, "I'm Doctor Cullen, miss, and I have no doubt in my mind that we will have your client fixed right up in no time." He flashed her a gentle smile and she visibly relaxed, nodding.

"I certainly hope so, Doctor. Come with me, she's right back here."

She led him around a corner and to the back, his eyes scanning over the multitude of lights and mirrors in the yellow room. Makeup counters lined the walls on the right side and racks of covered dresses lined the left. He knew Rosalie and Alice would have a field day in such a place.

"Aurora, dear, this is Doctor Cullen. He's here to fix that _thing_ on your leg."

Carlisle's eyes came forward, landing on whom the woman was speaking to.

And if he had air in his lungs, they would've caught in his throat in that very moment.

He was met with the largest set of doe eyes he had ever encountered, such a deep chocolate that he could drown in them if he looked too hard. Her skin, one could tell, was naturally pale, though it was sun kissed then- obviously from a recent vacation. Her hair was light brown and pin straight, a gentle curtain falling down past her shoulders. Her features were all so small, so dainty, so delicate. Her nose was small, just a tiny little ski-slope, and her cheekbones were high and her lips were pouted, and Carlisle had never felt such strong emotions in his whole existence.

She was easily the most flawless thing his eyes had ever had the blessing of seeing.

"Sonia, that _thing_ on my leg is just a cut, it's not the end of the world." She giggled, her voice light and airy and sweet.

Sonia shushed her with her hands, shaking her head, "It's a flaw, dear, and we won't have any of those. This is Fashion Week, there's no room for anything less than perfection."

Carlisle's eyes had yet to leave Aurora, he couldn't get over the emotions that began running wildly through him.

She rolled her eyes at Sonia as her back was turned, quietly giggling to herself as she did so before she finally brought her attention back to Carlisle.

"I apologize for Sonia, she's quite the perfectionist, if you couldn't tell." Aurora smiled at him, Sonia sending her a mock-glare in turn before shaking her head at the young girl.

"Enough of that, Aurora. Get down from there and let the doctor fix you up."

She did as she was told and hopped down from the countertop, maneuvering her way over to a cushioned chair whilst favoring her right leg.

Carlisle couldn't help but notice how small she was as she moved. She couldn't have been taller than 5' 1" and she certainly couldn't have weighed 100 pounds. She was the definition of petite, if he had ever seen one.

He shook his head as he tried to regain his focus.

How could he though when he had just met his mate?

"Sonia, you don't have to stand there and breathe down his neck, I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Aurora shooed Sonia with her hand, the older woman giving her a tentative stare before sighing and exiting the room, leaving the two alone.

Aurora released a deep breath, giggling as she looked Carlisle over. He was young and handsome and she couldn't help but be intrigued by him. There was just something about him.

"Well, miss?" He drawled out the word, he knew very well what her last name was because of Alice, though he couldn't act as if she was the topic of discussion in their house not even an hour ago.

"Gray. Aurora Gray," she smiled, holding out her tiny hand. French tips adored her fingers and he took extra caution while he shook her hand- fearful that he would break her with one wrong move.

"Well, Aurora, we'll have you looking like new in no time. So let's see this laceration I've heard all about."

She groaned, hoisting up the hem of her satin red robe to reveal the wound on her thigh. It was no longer than 3 inches long and not so deep as to truly worry about it, though she would undoubtably need a good number of stitches. A drop of blood still dared to dribble down her skin and she sighed as her eyes came in contact with it.

"So tell me, doc, are we going to have to amputate the whole thing?" She scrunched her eyebrows together, her lips forming a perfect sweetheart pout.

Carlisle released a laugh, a great sound to Aurora's ears, he shook his head as he continued to chuckle, his eyes coming back to the cut.

"Well, I think we might be able to save it, if we work fast enough."

Aurora brought the back of her hand to her forehead, just grazing her knuckles across it as she released a, " _phew_ " before giggling once more.

Carlisle brought his medical kit up to rest on the table beside her chair, opening it and gathering the necessary instruments to stitch her up. She watched him carefully, her dark eyes training on every movement.

"Doctor Cullen," she mused, pursing her lips, "that's so formal. You're seeing a part of me that not many men do, I feel as if we should be more relaxed with one another. Don't you agree?"

He chuckled at her once again, "You're quite charming, you know that, right?" He cocked an eyebrow up at her and she smiled, a breathtaking smile that only a true model could present.

She shrugged and grinned, her eyes scanning around the room.

"Really, though, can't I call you something other than Doctor Cullen?"

He cleaned the blood from her wound and disposed of the wipe, looking up to her with a grin, "Carlisle. My name is Carlisle Cullen."

She mulled it over in her head.

" _Carlisle_."

The name rolled off of her tongue with ease and he found himself inhaling deeply to steady his emotions. He hadn't expected it to affect him so strongly to just hear her speak his name.

He had had no prior experience with the idea of "love" and certainly nothing with mates. He had seen Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper as well. The thought never occurred to him that he too one day might find his mate. He had always assumed that him and Edward would always be alone.

"That's a lovely name." Her voice was more quiet, her eyes finding his hands as he worked.

"This is going to pinch a little, okay?" He looked up to her briefly, gesturing towards the needle with the numbing agent inside.

She nodded and barely flinched as it punctured her skin. The area quickly grew numb though and she could only watch as he began stitching her thigh.

"Aurora, that means 'dawn' if I'm correct, yes?"

She nodded with approval, grinning, "It certainly does, I'm surprised you knew that. Not many people do."

He shrugged as he continued on.

Her skin was soft under his fingertips and he couldn't help how sometimes they would linger in one spot for just a fraction of a second longer than necessary.

His mind was racing. Sure, he had just met his mate, the one whom he was supposed to spend the rest of eternity with.

But she was a model.

How could something like that ever work out?

She had her whole future ahead of her, how could he possibly take that away from her? Her becoming a vampire would truly ruin her life, he couldn't do that to her.

"Are you planning on staying to see the show?"

Her voice broke him from his thoughts as his fingers worked instinctively.

"I hasn't planned on it, in all honesty, no."

"Hm." Her lips pouted once more.

They fell silent as Carlisle began to finish up, carefully cutting off the end with a small pair of scissors. He had began bandaging it up before Aurora spoke again.

"I could get you very good seats, if you'd like," she paused, her curiosity getting the best of her, "I could even manage to snag a few extra if that'd help, maybe, for your wife or girlfriend?"

Carlisle felt a smile forming on his lips, looking up at her expectant face.

"I don't have a wife or girlfriend. I do have some adopted daughters, though, who certainly wouldn't mind."

Aurora's heart rate quickened slightly as she felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips.

"Well if it means you'll stay, I'll have no problem getting you some seats. How many?"

"Just three will do."

She smiled, "Consider it done. Call them now."

Aurora stood from her seat, allowing her robe to fall back down over the fresh bandages, waltzing towards the door where she knew Sonia would be waiting by expectantly.

"Sonia?" She called, opening the door. Sonia turned with a jump, her eyes flashing down to Aurora's leg in alarm.

"What's wrong?"

Aurora giggled, "Nothing's wrong, silly, it's fine! Would you mind getting three open seats in the front for Doctor Cullen and family?"

Sonia stared at her for a moment, lips pursed.

" _Please_?" Aurora's bottom lip jutted out slightly, Sonia groaning and tossing her head back slightly.

"You're killing me, kid," she paused, still staring at Aurora's pretty face, "but I've got it covered." She nodded to herself and began down the hallway, chuckling as she heard Aurora squeal from behind her.

 **XXX**

"I already saw it, Carlisle, this is amazing! Rose and I are on our way down there right now." Alice squealed through the phone, Carlisle chuckling at her.

"Alright, I'll see you soon."

He hung up the phone, looking over as Aurora shut the door once more, making her way back towards him again.

"They're on their way, very ecstatic already." He chuckled, Aurora smiling back in response.

"I'm glad! I think everyone should be able to experience Fashion Week. It's certainly been amazing so far, already." Her eyes twinkled as she spoke, Carlisle found it even harder to look away from her.

"Is this your first time here?" He asked, cautiously taking a seat on one of the love-seats.

She nodded excitedly, "I really only started modeling half a year ago, it's all happened so quickly!"

"You're just a kid, really, aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow. It was hard to ignore how youthful she really looked.

It worried him.

Aurora narrowed her eyes at him, one edge of her mouth quirking, "I'm twenty, for your information."

Carlisle laughed again, holding his hands up in surrender, "Pardon me, miss."

She giggled, a delightful sound for him to hear.

The door opened, their eyes shooting towards it.

"Miss Gray, it's time to get ready."

A deep voice called in, Aurora's eyes lighting up with excitement and a smile gracing her lips. She stood up hurriedly, turning to look at Carlisle.

"Oh, I have to go now. But thank you, so much!" She gestured towards her leg, her smile never faltering.

He shrugged and smiled kindly, "It's all a part of the job."

Aurora watched him for another moment, her smile falling into a grin as she looked up at the handsome man before her.

"I do hope to see you after the show, if that's a possibility?" She raised an eyebrow slightly, her teeth pulling her bottom lip in between them.

Carlisle felt his eyebrows go up, suddenly overwhelmed by how very real everything really was.

For a moment they only stared at one another.

"I think that's a possibility." He smiled.

Excitement and relief lit up Aurora's features and she smiled once more, taking a step towards the door.

"Thank you, again, really. I hope you enjoy your seats! And the show!"

The door opened again with impatience and Aurora hurried to it, already chattering to whomever was waiting on the other side. It shut as she passed through, leaving Carlisle alone with his thoughts.

He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

He couldn't even begin to imagine the trainwreck that would surely ensue from this.


	2. Wandering Minds

**Thank you so much, everyone, for all of the positive feedback on this already! I look forward to continue hearing your opinions!**

 **Also, in response to _Booklover345_ , I completely agree with you! The majority of twilight fanfictions portray her as so hateful! I don't have that exactly in mind, though there will be some hints of it (we all need a little excitement here and there!)**

 **I would like to apologize as well for such a sporadic chapter. I'm really trying to give everyone a feel for how the Cullens interact and feel in regards to Aurora, as well as showing who Aurora is and what her and her life is like.**

 **Thank you all again so much, I really didn't expect as much as I got for just the first chapter!**

 **XXX**

Carlisle was left with his jaw hanging as he watched Aurora on the runway.

It was _magical_.

Aurora belonged up there. Though even in heels she will still eons shorter than the other models, that held no fault against her performance.

"Isn't she just darling? Oh, Carlisle, your mate is Aurora Gray! Isn't this the most amazing thing that's ever happened?" Alice gushed, pointing at Aurora as she passed by in a rose gold gown.

Carlisle watched her with wonder in his eyes. He was entirely fascinated by her already, though immeasurable amounts of guilt were already pooling up deep within his being.

Alice sighed, already assuming she knew what he was thinking.

"Isn't she beautiful, Rose?" Alice spoke again, her eyes never once breaking focus from the models atop the runway.

Rosalie pursed her lips and watched Aurora's movements carefully, sighing as she did so.

"She doesn't deserve this." She mumbled, shaking her head.

Alice twisted her lips to the side, falling silent once more. They watched on in silence, every now and then Alice would release a small gasp of excitement.

The show came to a close, every model marching out on the runway once more. They were all lovely girls, though Carlisle was unable to muster up enough restraint to move his eyes from Aurora.

She was practically glowing, her movie star smile flashing towards the cameras as her eyes danced through the crowd. They came to land on him and her smile brightened, if that was even possible.

"Look at that, Carlisle!" Alice squealed, "I've already seen it, this is going to be amazing." She clapped her hands together before joining the surrounding crowd as they applauded for the show. He couldn't help but join in.

"I'm so excited that we're getting to meet her already, aren't you, Rosalie?"

Alice and Rosalie followed behind Carlisle as he headed towards the original dressing room he had met Aurora in. Rosalie sighed, shrugging.

Carlisle knocked gently on the door, Sonia opening it to greet him. She cocked an eyebrow up at him and he grinned bashfully.

"Can I help you, Doctor Cullen?" Her eyes scanned him over before moving towards Alice and Rosalie- immediately being taken back by their beauty. It surprised her neither of them were models yet.

"Oh! Sonia, I asked Carli- _hm_ , Doctor Cullen to stop by." Aurora coughed gently, her eyes wide with innocence as she stared at Sonia. The older woman narrowed her eyes at her client, sighing as she opened the door wider for the Cullens.

Aurora still looked as beautiful as ever, even once she had changed into the sweatpants and crew-neck sweatshirt she wore then. Her hair and makeup still lay untouched, though, as if she needed it anyway.

She sat on the floor of the dressing room, her fingers dug deep within the carpet surrounding her. She smiled up at Carlisle as he entered the room, his eyes twinkling in turn.

"Sonia, could you give us a few minutes? It'd be rude for me to not properly introduce myself to Doctor Cullen's adopted daughters."

Sonia looked to her disapprovingly before pointing two fingers at herself and then Aurora, squinting her eyes. Aurora rolled her eyes before mimicking the notion, a dry chuckle escaping past Sonia's lips as she shut the door behind herself.

Aurora released another deep breath with a giggle, standing up and brushing off her hands on her pants. She neared the Cullens, her eyes carefully seeking out Alice and Rosalie.

"Thank you both so much for coming to see the show, I do hope you enjoyed it."

Now clad in only polka-dotted socks, both girls really took note of how tiny she was. She was even smaller than Alice, something most had never imagined possible.

Alice's smile lit up the room, though, as she stepped past Carlisle and towards Aurora. She hesitated a moment, contemplating her next motions carefully before deciding.

"I'm Alice, thank you for getting us those seats! It was amazing, _you're_ amazing." She smiled once more as she hugged Aurora, the smaller girl hesitating a moment at the contact before recovering and returning the gesture.

"Oh my! Thank you so much!"

They pulled away and Aurora's eyes found Rosalie, hesitant as they eyed one another.

The room fell silent as everyone weighed out their options.

Aurora broke the silence, moving closer to Rosalie and putting her hand out, "I'm Aurora Gray," she grinned slightly, awaiting Rosalie's response.

Carlisle could've held his breath as those seconds felt like years.

Rosalie stared at her hand for a moment before her eyes came back to meet Aurora's brown ones.

"I'm Rosalie. I really enjoyed the show, thank you for giving us this opportunity."

She shook Aurora's hand, her voice short but grateful nonetheless.

Relief and shock flooded through Carlisle and Alice's systems.

"You two are both so beautiful, I would've loved for you both to have been up there with me tonight." Aurora giggled, her cheeks flushing as she realized the words had merely tumbled from her mouth.

Carlisle felt something inside of him stir at all of her little quirks.

Alice squealed with happiness, her eyes shooting to Rosalie and Carlisle with giddiness before she rushed to hug Aurora once more- shocking the young model.

"That's quite enough, Alice," Carlisle chuckled, Alice bashfully pulling away, "I'm sure we've bothered Miss Gray enough for one night."

Aurora opened her mouth a few times, ultimately pursing her lips, "I don't mind, Carlisle," she paused, her eyes falling to the floor, "I don't get much genuine company."

The room fell silent for a moment as Aurora suddenly realized what she had said, her mouth falling slightly open and her eyes coming up to address them all once more with worry, "Oh, no, I mean," she stumbled out, sighing as her eyebrows scrunched together, "I just mean, you all haven't bothered me, I'd quite like to see you all again, if that would be possible."

She quirked her eyebrow hopefully, her lips falling slightly pursed as her deep eyes scanned across the three Cullens.

Alice felt a smirk creep across her lips. Try as he might to deny the oncoming feelings for Aurora, she knew that Carlisle wouldn't be able to resist someone as endearing as their new acquaintance. She had already seen it: Aurora as an even more flawless vampire than she was a human. But she knew that the guilt would eat Carlisle alive for a lifetime.

 **XXX**

Days had passed since Carlisle had first met Aurora Gray and the small human being was all that he could think about.

He was practically driving Edward insane with the incessant images of her strutting up and down the runway, her tiny little mannerisms, his cold fingertips grazing against her soft skin- it was too much to handle.

Carlisle constantly apologized for it, his smile turning bashful as he would run a hand through his hair. Edward would merely shake his head, sometimes grumbling something out, sometimes chuckling and shooing it away with a hand gesture.

"Are you just gonna give in and call her already?" Edward groaned, his eyes shooting towards Carlisle in pleading.

Carlisle sighed and dropped the newspaper her held in his hand, Alice giggling beside him, Emmett and Jasper chuckling and quickly exiting the room.

"Edward, _don't_." Rosalie grumbled, standing from her seat and stomping out as well.

He paid no attention to her, his eyes still set on his fatherly figure.

"I can't just call her, Edward, it's not that simple." He shrugged, pursing his lips. Edward chuckled darkly, mumbling and grumbling.

"It's not that simple," he mused, shaking his head, "of course it's not that simple, Carlisle!" He slammed his hand down, the counter crackling beneath his superhuman force.

Carlisle didn't even flinch as his adopted son threw his tantrum. He wasn't the mind-reader of the family, but he knew Edward was nowhere near done.

"She's a human, for Christ's sake! Of course it's not simple! How could this happen? What twisted work of fate is this? We should've never come here," he should his head, standing from his seat and beginning to pace as his hands raked through his bronze hair, "Alice had to have seen this!" He whipped around on her, an accusative finger pointing out, "You _knew_ this would happen! Why did we come here?" His voice had raised considerably, his anger palpable.

Alice merely stared back at him, a thin eyebrow tipped upwards, a faint smirk daring to pass across her marbled face.

Edward's anger grew as he read her thoughts, her smirk finally coming to be revealed.

"You _wanted_ this? Are you _mad_? You knew that Carlisle's mate was human, and you _still_ let us come here and fall into this mess?" He began pacing again, the rest of the family entering the doorway to watch.

"You're so selfish! You wanted someone new to play dress up with, some perfect little doll, and you're willing to take away her life for it? You're more of a monster than I could've imagined! She's just a human! A fragile little human with a family and a life and plans for her future and you're willing to just rip that away from her?"

Edward ranted on, Carlisle and Alice watching on with exasperation and listening to every word.

Emmett could no longer hide his laughter, the booming sound exploding through the room as Edward's eyes turned on him in anger.

"You've lost it, you crazy bastard!" Emmett cried out, throwing his head back as his laughter continued.

Edward growled, his eyes growing black with fury as he stormed out, the remaining Cullens left to stare at one another in disbelief and humor.

 **XXX**

" _Aurora_! Are you even paying attention?"

The brunette turned sharply, her large eyes finding her manager bashfully, a deep blush creeping upon her cheeks.

"What has gotten in to you? Ever since fashion week ended, it's like you're on another planet." Sonia shook her head, releasing an exasperated sigh.

Aurora pursed her lips, her eyes fluttering around the room. She couldn't focus, and she especially couldn't bring herself to look Sonia in the eyes. She could practically feel the disappointment radiating off of her.

"I'm sorry, Sonia, I really am." She shook her head, still unable to make eye-contact.

Sonia sighed, her tone loosening as she spoke, "I know you are, sweetie. But this is only the beginning of an extremely long and bumpy road ahead of us. I just need you to be on it with me."

Aurora finally looked up, meeting the older woman's gaze with a nod, "I understand. And I'm glad to have you here."

With a wave of her hand, their tender moment was concluded and Sonia was back to being her manager, "Now, back to what I was saying. You will absolutely never guess who wants to meet with you about doing some shoots." Her professional excitement was back, her leg bouncing.

"Who?" Aurora cocked an eyebrow, heavily intrigued.

"Marc Jacobs."

Aurora felt every nerve in her body explode, her mouth falling agape as her eyes lit up, a squeal escaping past her lips. She leapt from her seat, closing the distance between herself and Sonia as she threw her arms around her manager in excitement.

Realization set in and she quickly pulled away, beginning to mumble apologies as she took her seat once more.

Sonia chuckled, "I can see where you'd be excited, but they only want to meet with you. Nothing is set in stone, alright?"

Aurora quickly nodded, standing from her seat and hurrying to her kitchen, her cheeks flushing once more.

She leaned against the countertop, exhaling and shutting her eyes. Her mind wandered quickly to a pair of golden eyes.

Golden eyes, how was that even possible?

She quietly giggled, her mind shifting back towards the entire day. Her breath was whisked from her lungs the moment she had laid eyes on Doctor Cullen- _no_ , Carlisle Cullen.

Given that she had found other men attractive, she had never been rendered speechless, never felt so, so _flabbergasted_ upon a simple glance. He was jaw-dropping, he was handsome beyond any compare.

His voice was enthralling, his touch addictive, his entire demeanor inviting her in. She felt different the moment he had stepped into the room.

Something had changed.

And he had been the only constant thing that she had been able to focus on.

She sighed and ran a hand down her face, her mind racing. She couldn't let something like this just slip away.

But what could she do? Keep getting hurt so they called him again?

She giggled at the idea, that was ridiculous.

She mulled it over in her head.

"Sonia?" She called, slowly re-entering the living room.

"Hm?" Sonia texted quickly, her eyes never leaving the screen as she cocked an eyebrow.

Aurora bit her lip, her eyes wandering around her seemingly dark living room, "Would you happen to have Doctor Cullen's phone number?" she waited, Sonia's fingers pausing mid-motion, "you know, just in case any of my stitches do something weird?" her voice raised an octave, her bottom lip falling between her teeth once more.

Sonia sighed and brought her attention to Aurora, her lips pursing.

"What is this about?"

Aurora cocked an eyebrow, "My stitches?" She crumpled her eyebrows together.

Sonia was not fooled.

She sighed once more and stood, plopping her phone onto the couch before approaching Aurora, resting her hands upon the young girl's shoulders.

"Aurora, _dear,_ I care about you and your career very much. That's why I'm your manager. And as your manager, I'm going to tell you that you need to keep your focus. Okay?"

They stared at one another for a moment, Aurora nodding her head to end it. Sonia's hands dropped from her shoulders.

"I'm well aware of that, Sonia. And I thank you for everything that you do. But right now, I need Doctor Cullen's number in case my stitches pull." Sonia sighed and shook her head, Aurora grinning as she turned her back to grab her phone.

"I'll give you the number. But you listen here," Sonia's cold eyes found Aurora's, "it's strictly business. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."


	3. Cryptic Answers

**Hi everyone! I'm very pleased to see that people are enjoying the story so far and I look forward to hearing what you guys are thinking!**

 **XXX**

Acquiring Doctor Cullen's number had seemed like a perfect idea.

Calling him seemed like an even better idea.

Until he picked up the call and Aurora realized she had no justifiable reason to be calling him.

A small squeak escaped past her lips as she felt her eyes widen.

She heard him chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Carlisle," she giggled nervously, "how are you?"

She inwardly groaned as she dropped her head back onto the couch in defeat. He chuckled again. She grimaced.

"I'm doing well, Aurora, to what do I owe the pleasure of speaking with you tonight?"

"Well, you see," she shook her head at herself, her nose scrunching up, "I think I hurt my ankle." She slapped her hand against her cheek and squinted her eyes shut.

The line fell silent.

She could practically hear him smirking.

"Miss Aurora?"

After what felt like years, he spoke. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath.

"Hm?"

He chuckled, "Did you really hurt your ankle?"

Aurora bit her lip to suppress a giggle, he saw right through her, "No."

Carlisle laughed and Alice grinned knowingly beside him, motioning with her hands to continue. Edward sulked in the corner- he didn't approve.

"Would you like to go get coffee, Miss Aurora?"

Aurora felt her heart stop. Her palms grew clammy, a faint smile daring to pass onto her lips. Her eyes shot to the clock on the wall- 8:17 pm- and she couldn't stop the giggle this time as she flung herself off of the couch and towards her room.

"It would be an honor."

Carlisle smiled into the phone.

Emmett mock-vomited.

Rosalie slapped his chest.

Aurora propelled herself into the closet, her eyes already scanning through the array of hanging clothing. She was blessed with having such an abundance of choices for any occasion but in that instance she felt as if she had nothing that could be deemed perfect for the occasion.

"We could walk together, if you'd like? I could be there in, say, twenty minutes?"

She could only squeak out a response before hanging up and flinging the phone away from herself in hurry.

Never in her life had she been worried about being around a man. He was just a doctor and they were just getting coffee.

Nothing more.

True to word, Carlisle arrived at aurora's apartment exactly twenty minutes later.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she opened the door, Carlisle's handsome face coming into view. He smiled at her, his eyes scanning over her face.

"Carlisle," she breathed out, her cheeks flushing under his watch.

"I must say, Aurora, I was quite surprised to hear that you wanted to see me."

She giggled nervously, her bottom lip catching between her teeth for a moment as she shrugged.

They fell silent, Aurora finding it difficult to meet his gaze while Carlisle's eyes drank in every minuscule detail.

"Well, shall we?" He quirked an eyebrow towards her, the small brunette nodding and following him out the apartment door, locking it behind herself.

They exited the brightly lit apartment building, venturing into the cold February night. The wind blew snow drifts around them, getting stuck in their hair like small white decorations. Aurora giggled as one landed on her nose, quickly dusting it away, much to Carlisle's amusement. He couldn't help smiling at her almost every moment he was near her- her happiness was contagious.

"So, _Doctor Cullen_ ," Aurora began, grinning up at him as they walked, "what has to go right in a man's life to be chosen as the on-call doctor for Fashion Week?"

He chuckled in response, shaking his head humbly, "I couldn't quite tell you, but I'm very fortunate."

Aurora mulled over his response, pursing her lips ever-so-slightly before nodding.

"So, _Aurora Gray_ ," he teased, Aurora smirking, "what has to go right in a young woman's life to become such a successful model?"

Aurora laughed, a hand coming up to rest upon her chest as she shook her head, "Oh, Carlisle, I wouldn't call myself successful, quite yet. I'm, ' _up-and-coming_ ' at best."

She had obviously been called that phrase quite frequently, given the slight bitterness and mocking tone that came with it. Carlisle would remember to ask her more about that in the _future_.

 _The future_.

Such a touchy topic of the matter.

What did their future hold?

He shook away those thoughts- it wasn't time for them. It was time to get to know his mate.

They entered the coffee shop, typically busy though at such an hour it held few occupants. They received their drinks and took a seat by the window, Aurora's eyes already flittering outwards to watch the snow fall. She watched in delight as each snowflake hit the ground, the bright city shining behind it all. She had never seen a city so beautiful in the winter.

"How do you like New York?" Carlisle asked, watching her with fascination.

She jumped at his voice, turning her attention towards him and blushing. "I love it," she smiled, her tiny fingers weaving through her hair as she spared one more glance out the window, "I had never been here before last month." she explained, Carlisle nodding.

"Where did you live before this?"

Aurora stared at him wearily, her dark eyes leaving his face to scan the shop over. She wiggled under his gaze.

"Just a little town upstate." She finally answered, shaking her head as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. She was never one for coffee.

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow, "What does your family think of your career?"

"I don't have a family." She shrugged nonchalantly. It was a rehearsed line, Carlisle could tell that much already.

Red flags went off in his brain. It took a moment for him to try and digest it, Aurora taking her turn to cock an eyebrow at him.

"Carlisle?" She asked, her head slightly tilted in question.

"You don't have a family?" He asked, a million questions running through his mind.

She stared him in the face, her eyes growing unusually cold in comparison to what he had seen of her before.

"My parents died when I was little."

She was lying.

Her face was hard, her tiny little features having gone rigid.

Carlisle pursed his lips and sighed, forcing down a small gulp of coffee.

"I'm sorry."

And just like that, Aurora was back to her typical self, shrugging and blushing and murmuring, "It's quite alright."

They fell silent and Aurora continued to sip on her drink, the hot liquid filling her chest with warmth as she nonchalantly ogled the handsome man sitting before her.

Carlisle smiled as he met her gaze.

"Tell me about your family, Carlisle, if you don't mind." She smiled warmly, all traces of the previously cold and hard Aurora long washed away.

"Well, I've adopted all five of my children," he began, Aurora nodding, "we travel quite a bit, and we're very close."

Aurora smiled nostalgically, her eyes coming to meet his once more, "I've never traveled before. Where are you from?"

"London, England."

Aurora's eyebrows shot up, her mouth quirking, "You do have a little baby accent." She giggled, Carlisle couldn't help but chuckle with her.

He shrugged, "It's faded quite a bit, I suppose."

They continued talking throughout the night, though Carlisle couldn't help but notice that Aurora withheld a good chunk of information about herself. She easily discussed her career, her relationship with Sonia, the long dreadful process of becoming the model she was thus far.

Her favorite color was forest green, her favorite food was scallops, and her dream vacation would be to Greece.

They were menial facts, though, as she merely shrugged off deeper questions about her past.

Carlisle began to worry.

 _Just what could she possibly be withholding?_

He walked her back to her apartment afterwards, their shoulders gently grazing one another as they did so. She was so tiny, so frail, so _human_.

But Carlisle couldn't help the already overwhelming feelings begin to wash over him.

They stopped in front of her door, standing to face one another.

Aurora's face lit up with a smile that quickly spread to Carlisle.

"I'm very glad to have spent the evening in your company."

Aurora blushed at his words.

"I had a very nice time with you," she paused, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment, "I'd like to see you again."

Something stirred within Carlisle- a happy feeling that infiltrated his senses.

"It would be a pleasure," he nodded, Aurora's smile widening.

Carlisle couldn't help but pull Aurora closer, her arms somehow instinctively coming to wrap around his torso in response.

They hugged for a moment, Carlisle reveling in the contact as Aurora's heart beat wildly against her ribcage.

"I'll call you within the next few days to arrange plans, if you'd like?" Carlisle spoke as they released one another, Aurora already missing his embrace. She nodded happily though and they offered one another bright smiles once more before he began down the hallway and she unlocked her door.

 **XXX**

Carlisle returned home that evening, the events racing through his mind as he tried to dissect Aurora's short and cryptic responses to personal questions.

Edward was by his side in an instant, watching the night unwind in Carlisle's head. He cocked an eyebrow, listening to her answers over and over again in search of something more.

"She's hiding something." He mumbled, the rest of the family making their way into the living room.

"How did it go?" Alice squealed, paying no attention to their troubled expressions.

They looked to her and Carlisle grinned faintly, "She's quite delightful-"

"And quite secretive." Edward interrupted, further unimpressed with her.

Alice sighed, shrugging, "Secretive or not, she'll still be one of us in no time."

 **XXX**

"Aurora, dear?" Sonia knocked on the dressing room door, slowly peeking her head in. Aurora looked up from her book, quirking an eyebrow.

Her stylist paused momentarily, waving Sonia in before going back to work at putting curlers in Aurora's hair.

"Would you mind giving Aurora and I a moment?"

Aurora's eyes widened slightly, the stylist hesitating a moment before sighing and nodding, quickly exiting the room.

Sonia walked closer to the small brunette, pulling a chair from the neighboring makeup mirror and plopping her hands into her lap. Aurora closed the book and raised an eyebrow, already pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"The Dannemora prison called this morning."

Aurora felt the color drain from her face, her stomach somehow clambering its way up into her throat. She swallowed hard and exhaled, "What did they want?"

Sonia pursed her lips and shrugged, "The same thing as always. She wants to talk to you, Aurora-"

"Well I don't want to talk to her!" Her voice raised, cracking mid-sentence as breathing suddenly became difficult.

Sonia waited, sighing and running a hand through her hair as she waited for Aurora to calm down.

Aurora shook her head, swallowing again and focussing on her breathing.

They stared at one another for a moment, pity filling Sonia's green eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Aurora groaned and dropped her face into her hands, shaking her head and mumbling something to herself. Sonia knew she shouldn't have said anything.

"I knew this was a bad idea, I just- I just would've felt bad if I hadn't told you."

"Don't tell me next time." Aurora pulled her face up, her eyes acquiring that same cold gloss about them.

Sonia shook her head, "No, Aurora. I'm going to tell you next time too, because one day you might change your mind."

Aurora began to shake her head frantically, the curlers in her hair bobbing in distress, "I'm never going to change my mind! You don't get it Sonia, you don't-"

Sonia raised her hand up, palm facing Aurora as to tell her to stop, and the young girl quieted down after a moment.

"I will not pretend to know anything about what happened to you. But I repeat, I _will_ tell you the next time she calls."

They fell in silence and Aurora slowly shook her head, her eyes dull and empty as she sat within her own mind.

Flashbacks pushed at the brim of her mind, hot flames and their screams, smokey air and shattering windows and crashing beams.

"I need a drink." Aurora stood up, rushing towards the fridge to yank out a bottle of water, "You should go. Beatrice will be getting impatient." She took a sip of her water and stared at Sonia expectantly, her manager sighing in defeat.

"I just want-"

"I'll see you after my shoot. This discussion is over."

She stared at her harshly once more before Sonia shook her head and left, allowing Beatrice to re-enter and continue on with her hair.

It took Aurora the rest of the day to calm herself down.

Her hands shook during the shoot, her legs trembled, she held her face too tight for fear that it all might fall apart if she didn't.

The moment she got to her apartment that night, she screamed. Muffled by the couch pillow she had acquired upon entrance, she screamed out all of the wild emotions she felt that day. And when she was done, she delicately placed it back onto the couch, fluffing it tenderly and continuing towards her room.

She changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt, tied her hair into a top-knot and slowly made her way towards her closet.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, she feared it might break through them at any moment. She hadn't even unpacked the small shoebox yet, it still lay tucked into the back corner of her large closet.

Just a black shoebox, that's all it was.

But it _wasn't._

She knelt down on the ground, her fingertips grazing over the surface before slowly removing the top. Her breath caught in her throat.

The pain of seeing the picture on top was still raw.

She stared at it with hatred, her eyes scanning over each happy face and landing on one.

The top came crashing back down on the box and she sucked in a sharp breath of air as she backed away from it.

It was far too soon to forgive.


	4. Breakfast Pastries

Days passed, and Aurora found herself wrapped up in everything that was Marc Jacobs. She was overwhelmed by how serious everything was. The hours were endless, and the people she worked with were less than pleasant.

This was what she wanted, though.

This was her dream.

As each strenuous day came to a closing, roughly around one in the morning, Sonia would greet her with bright smiles and tell her how wonderfully she was doing.

"I know that this was a long day-"

"They're all long days." Aurora grumbled, pulling her hair into a high ponytail and yanking on her jacket.

Sonia pursed her lips and sighed as she followed the small girl out.

February wind whipped at them, snow flurries assaulting their faces as they neared Sonia's car. Aurora wordlessly flung her bags into the back seat and huffed as she plopped into her seat.

"Aurora-"

She cut her off with a sigh, shaking her head, "Sonia, I don't want to do this right now. I'm tired, and I just want to go home and go to bed." She brought her face down to rest in her hands, and Sonia look on with exasperation.

"All I'm going to say is that I need you to keep your eyes on the prize."

With that, she started the car and pulled off onto the street. The music buzzed in the background, and the snow surrounded the car in large swirls.

For the first time in almost a week, Aurora let her mind wander.

And all it seemed to wander to was Carlisle Cullen.

His golden eyes flashed within her subconscious, and the thought of his cool skin brought tingles to her fingertips. His voice was ringing in her head, a song on repeat that she just couldn't shake.

She sighed and pressed her forehead against the window, the coolness only bringing slight relief to her stress.

Soon enough, Sonia pulled up in front of Aurora's apartment building, most windows already devoid of life. Aurora was out of the car in seconds, throwing open the back doors and snatching up her bags. Without another word, she slammed the door and was stalking off to the entrance.

She had hardly shut the door when her phone began ringing. She cocked an eyebrow as she read the caller-I.D., and she smiled.

 _Carlisle Cullen._

"Why hello, Doctor Cullen."

She could practically hear him smile on the other end.

"Miss Aurora, I thought we were pass these formalities."

She giggled and plopped onto the couch; she could suddenly feel the worries of the week washing away. It was odd, but she wasn't complaining.

The line remained quiet for a moment, and Aurora began to fear that he had hung up.

"I've been thinking of you frequently."

His words caught her off-guard; she could already feel the heat rising up along her collarbone and onto her cheeks.

"Is that so?" She smirked.

Across town in their apartment, Alice smiled brightly and clapped her hands together. Carlisle blew out between his teeth, a small grin forming across his porcelain features.

"She's perfect." Alice mouthed.

"I'm afraid so." Carlisle finally replied, chuckling and beginning out of the room. He knew it would make no difference, though it made him feel better anyway. "I was actually wondering if you might be interested in seeing one another again?"

He could hear her sharp intake of breath despite that any human wouldn't have been able to. He smiled.

And then the guilt crept in.

One day, she wouldn't be able to take in that air. She wouldn't be able to do any human things anymore. He'd take that away from her.

"I'd be very interested in seeing you again, if we're being honest."

And there she went again, drawing him in and making him forget all his worries.

"I know of a very nice bakery, we could go there for breakfast?"

"That sounds delightful."

"I could be at your apartment for, say, eight?"

"Perfect!"

Even after they had hung up, Aurora couldn't force the smile off her face.

The following morning, she found herself waking up even before her alarm went off. Something inside of her was stirring wildly at the very thought of seeing Carlisle once more.

True to his word, Carlisle was at her door at eight o'clock on the dot.

Aurora's heart fluttered as they came face-to-face.

"Miss Aurora, you look lovely." Carlisle smiled. He watched with adoration as her cheeks turned scarlet.

"Oh, Carlisle," she shooed him with a dainty hand, pulling her scarf closer and pulling her door shut to lock it, "you flatter me." She smiled and they began down the hallway.

"That's certainly the goal." He chuckled.

They casually spoke of their weeks as they rode the elevator down to the lobby. Carlisle couldn't ignore how tense Aurora seemed.

The bakery wasn't far from her building, and the duo soon found themselves being engulfed with warmth and the smell of fresh pastries. Aurora inhaled deeply and smiled, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment of content.

Carlisle watched on with fascination.

She was so alive.

After collecting their pastries of choice and finding a small booth in the back of the shop, they visibly relaxed.

Aurora began absentmindedly picking at her blueberry muffin, popping a small piece of the corner into her mouth.

"How was your week?" Carlisle began. He gagged down a bite of a scone; he wished he could be human for times like these with Aurora.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, turning her face downwards with exasperation. He let her be, waiting a few moments for her to look back up. She shook her head bashfully as she met his golden eyes.

"I just-" she chuckled dryly, "I started working with Marc Jacobs this week. And that's so exciting! It's an amazing opportunity, Carlisle, really. This could launch me forward eons. It's just," she sighed again, "it's been dreadful."

He studied her dainty features and pursed his lips. Even beneath the carefully done makeup, he could see the traces of bags under her eyes. Her smile was strained, and her eyes were heavy. She was exhausted- just as Alice had seen.

"Dreadful, you say?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes," she admitted.

It was the first time that she had even allowed herself to say it- or even think it, really. Carlisle just had a way of making her feel confident with any thought she might have.

"We start at the crack-of-dawn, every day. I understand that there's a lot to be done, I really do. But every day? It's a little excessive."

Carlisle nodded as she continued.

"We work throughout the entire day. I'm not exaggerating. I didn't get done until one last night-or- this morning, I suppose. It may seem like easy work, but I promise, it's excruciating. Every last pose has to be perfect- not too forced, not too casual. There are pounds upon pounds of makeup on you, your hair has been yanked and tugged at a million times, and everyone is chirping at you to be _perfect_."

Carlisle pursed his lips again. She took another bite of her muffin. She sighed and ran both hands through her hair again before she continued.

"I'd like to think that I'm a fairly easy person to get along with, I really would. It's just, my goodness, Carlisle, everyone is so rude to me."

He felt something stir within him; there was suddenly the overwhelming desire to sweep her into his arms and protect her.

"They're rude to you? Why would they be rude to someone as wonderful as you?"

She felt her stomach twist delightfully.

She sighed again before she began.

"I'm not deaf; I hear everything they say about me: I'm too young, I'm too short, the industry is never going to accept me. They glare at me, they make snide comments." She shook her head, "It's building character, it doesn't matter." She shrugged, pulling off a larger portion of muffin this time.

"Aurora, I-"

"I'm so sorry for babbling."

Carlisle stared at her in shock.

"Don't be silly. I could listen to you babble for eternity."

He wanted to chuckle at himself.

For a moment, Aurora could only stare at him with gratitude. No one had ever said something like that to her, and they certainly had never made her believe it the way that he did.

"Thank you."

 **XXX**

Such outings became a pattern over the next few days.

Sonia began to pick up on this.

She sighed as she entered Aurora's dressing room, the young girl looking up at her from her book.

"Sonia?" She cocked an eyebrow, folding over the tip of her page and shutting the book.

"Dear, I don't know how to tell you this."

Aurora chewed the inside of her lip; her heartrate picked up nervously.

"Well, just say it."

Sonia's face broke out into a blinding smile, "You're going to Paris with Marc Jacobs!"

Aurora was overcome with emotions all at once: from shock to delight and everything in between.

She was going to Paris.

To model with Marc Jacobs.

"You better start catching up on your French, dear, we'll be spending our next two months there!"

Aurora felt her stomach drop.


	5. Paris

Aurora couldn't find the right words to say or emotions to feel. She was going to _Paris_ to model with _Marc Jacobs_. It was a dream come true; it would truly propel her forwards eons in her career. It was this trip to Paris that might make the modeling industry accept her, that might make her peers stop looking down upon her, that might secure her future.

She was flustered as she sat in her apartment the following day, throwing tons upon tons of clothes into a large suitcase. The sunset poured in through her window and her cream walls glowed orange.

" _Two months._ " She mumbled, shaking her head.

It was insane.

And she didn't know a lick of French.

And she'd miss Carlisle.

Aurora sighed and dropped the shirt she was folding, roughly running a hand down her face and groaning. How was she supposed to tell Carlisle? And most importantly, why was she so worried about him? She had only been seeing him for a few weeks, so why did it matter?

They would be leaving in a few days, and despite all the pent-up excitement bubbling within Aurora's stomach, she couldn't ignore the ball of dread that had somehow nestled within her core.

Before she could stop herself, Aurora was calling Carlisle. He answered almost immediately, his kind voice bringing a smile to her troubled features, "Miss Aurora, hello!"

"Carlisle," she breathed, her fingertips already tingling, "I've missed you." The words tumbled from her lips clumsily, and she blushed.

Carlisle smiled, "I must say that I've missed your company as well."

"Could I see you tonight? I'd like to talk to you about something; we could go out to dinner?"

Across town, Alice beamed at Carlisle. He inhaled deeply and nodded, "I'm free tonight. I was actually thinking, though, that you might come to my place? I'd love to make you dinner."

Aurora took a sharp intake of breath, her face heating up and her stomach twisting in knots. She smiled, "That'd be nice; I'd like that."

Just an hour later, Aurora found herself hopping out of a cab at Carlisle's apartment building. Her eyes traveled up the monumental size, and when they came back down, Carlisle was standing in front of the entrance to the building with a handsome smile on his handsome face. Her heart fluttered in delight, and she found herself hurrying towards his open arms.

Carlisle's arms came cautiously, though excitedly, around his mate in a tight embrace. He breathed in her scent and visibly relaxed. They both smiled, though only Carlisle could truly know the explanation as to why one another's presence eased the tension.

They separated, and Carlisle immediately began speaking, "My children will be going out for the evening, but Alice was very adamant about seeing you again, and the others were in favor of meeting you as well before they left."

Aurora gulped, and Carlisle didn't miss it.

"Oh, well," Aurora smiled up at him, "it will be a pleasure to meet them."

She could do it; she just had to keep telling herself that she could do it. It was just his adopted children, and she had already met Alice and Rosalie. Everything would be okay.

Carlisle grinned down at her and gently rested his hand upon the small of her back as they walked. Aurora looked around the extravagant building as they passed through the lobby, her eyes soaking in every last detail. She had never seen such amazing buildings until she had gotten to the city; it was almost overwhelming. She almost missed as he pressed the elevator button to the top floor whilst she was observing the chandelier hanging above them. Her eyes flickered down to his pale hand, and she raised an eyebrow, "The top floor?" He chuckled and nodded, her eyebrows jerking upwards for a moment.

The elevator dinged, and the door opened.

Aurora stared out into the entryway of Carlisle's apartment, her eyes widening with wonder. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the bright lights twinkled and glimmered across the milky granite floor.

Carlisle watched her with adoration. His mind began to wander, as he began to question why everything in the city seemed to amaze her.

"Kids," Carlisle called out, "Miss Gray is here to meet you."

It was almost instantaneously that five flawless faces appeared in the entryway. Aurora was immediately taken back by their beauty, much like with Carlisle. It was almost eerie, in her opinion, how _glamorous_ the Cullens were. In the back of her mind, Aurora knew that something had to be a little _off_.

One of the boys looked to her and raised an eyebrow.

She brought her gaze to the floor.

"Aurora, you remember Alice and Rosalie, yes?"

Aurora brought her eyes back up to meet Alice's smiling face, her lips instantly pulling back to smile in return. She nodded to Carlisle quickly before turning to be met with an embrace from Alice.

"We're so happy that you're here," Alice chimed, "I just know that we're going to be great friends."

Aurora felt something pinch within her. Something about the way Alice spoke wasn't right; she meant more than what she was saying.

"We should be going soon." Edward broke in quickly, his eyes darting between Carlisle and the door. Alice frowned.

"Now, now," Carlisle eyed him, "we haven't even covered introductions."

"Right!" Alice clapped her hands together, her eyes twinkling as she grabbed Aurora's wrist, leading her towards her siblings.

"Aurora, you already met Rosalie."

Aurora looked up at the blonde and smiled. Everyone, ironically, held their breath and waited for Rosalie's reaction.

What felt like an eternity later, Rosalie's lips curled back over her teeth, and she offered a thin smile, "Hello, Aurora."

Even Aurora breathed a sigh of relief, and she released a small giggle, "Rosalie, it's wonderful to see you again!"

"Likewise."

"Splendid!" Alice broke in before anything could go sour, and she moved onto the next.

"I'm Emmett, it's great to finally meet you." His burly figure lurched forward to offer Aurora a hand to shake. Her tiny hand twitched slightly at his cold hand, though she brushed it off.

"Jasper Hale," he nodded curtly to her, offering a restrained smile. Aurora didn't push.

"Edward Cullen," he nodded to her as well, though he reached a hand to her. He didn't smile nor frown at her, and so she took it as a gain.

For a moment, afterwards, everyone stood in silence. Aurora shuffled her feet uncomfortably and looked up at Carlisle, her eyes softening with fondness. This action wasn't left unnoticed by any of the vampires in the room. Edward cringed.

"I think we should be going now," Rosalie spoke tentatively, beginning towards the door with Emmett at her side. The others fell into stride immediately, waving goodbye to Aurora and Carlisle as the door shut.

The room fell silent once more.

"They seem lovely!" Aurora smiled to Carlisle, bringing forth a grin in return. His hand once more found the small of her back, and he led her through the apartment, showing her the dining room, living room, bathroom, and finally, the kitchen.

He began cooking, and they began chatting. Aurora sat on a stool behind the countertop, watching Carlisle's movements carefully. Something about him in the kitchen seemed odd; though, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. At times, she noticed, it was as if the room was foreign to him.

"Carlisle," she began as he made their plates, he looked up to meet her eyes, worry etching her pretty face, "I need to tell you something."

Carlisle finished the plates, handing one over to her. He brushed his hands off on a dishtowel before leaning his arms against the countertop to face her; she had his full attention. He couldn't help the way he analyzed her features, taking in every last detail.

"What is it?"

Aurora sighed and shook her head, briefly looking down once before regaining eye-contact.

"I don't know how to say it without just blurting it out, but I know that isn't the right way to go about something like this. And I didn't hold out on telling you, I swear, I just," she sighed, "I just found out days ago, myself, and I don't know why it's bugging me so much. It should be a good thing, it really should, I just-" she sighed once more, her head dropping into her hands upon the granite counter.

"Aurora," Carlisle's hand found hers, "whatever it is, you can just say it. Everything will be fine." His voice was calming, and that made things even worse in Aurora's mind; how could she possibly leave someone who made everything seem okay?

After a moment, she brought herself to raise her head once more, her fingers intertwined with Carlisle's, "I'm going to Paris for two months. And I'm leaving in a few days."

Carlisle looked at her for a moment, his eyes still locked within hers. It all began clicking into place. Alice had been discussing Paris just days before; she was speaking of all the new fashion trends making their debut in Paris and how she would love to live there at some point. Alice had seen it happening, yet she had waited for Aurora to tell him.

In an odd way, he was grateful for that.

He took her other hand into his and sighed, pursing his lips as he brought his eyes back to her. He offered her a small grin and raised a hand to his mouth, carefully and tenderly kissing her knuckles; her heartrate went wild.

"I think that this is an amazing opportunity for you career, Aurora. With that in mind, I'd like to inform you that two months will be a mere second to me. Nothing that I could think of would be able to deter my desire to spend time in your company."

For a moment, Aurora could only stare at him in awe.

Despite every fiber in her being pushing her towards him, she couldn't help but mentally step back for a moment and wonder why someone as _lovely_ as Dr. Carlisle Cullen was so kind to her twenty-four-seven. She wasn't used to it by any means. He was older than her; he was wealthy, obviously, he was handsome, kind, alluring, and yet, he had somehow found reason to focus his attention on her. She just didn't understand.

She came back down to earth and felt her heart pounding against her ribs so hard she feared they might shatter.

"Carlisle, I-" she bit her lip, "I could never ask you to do that." She shook her head, a splash of guilt already creeping in.

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head, "I wasn't looking for you to ask me to, dear, there's no question in it. I couldn't even consider fancying anyone but you. Like I said before, two months is merely a second to me."

Aurora felt all the blood in her body rush to her cheeks, and she couldn't help but cast her eyes downwards to the cooling food before her. He made her pasta alfredo with scallops; he remembered that scallops were her favorite.

"Why are you like this with me?" She raised an eyebrow, "I'm certainly not complaining," she giggled nervously, "but I do wonder."

Carlisle pursed his lips for a moment before sighing, "For right now, we'll call it intuition. Things changed when we met."

And he left it at that, busying himself and getting utensils for both of them. He swallowed heavily, mentally preparing himself to pretend to digest the food before him. For a moment, he found himself excited for the days when he wouldn't need to pretend to eat in front of Aurora anymore. And even worse, he found himself excited for the days when Aurora wouldn't need to eat either.

The guilt washed over him like a tsunami as he watched her begin to happily eat her scallops.

* * *

And just days later, Aurora was landing in Paris and checking into her hotel. She would be living in a suite on one of the top floors, Sonia's suite right next-door. As if every bit of "tourist excitement" hadn't been active enough, their hotel was just a block away from the Eiffel Tower.

"Oh, Aurora, don't you just love it here already?" Sonia gushed, bringing her hands up to her chest.

Aurora giggled and nodded, her eyes dancing out her window. If she sat just right, she could see the tip of the tower. "I've never even dreamed of a place like this." She was distant as she spoke, her eyes flittering across every detail that her eyes could pick up.

It was simply a dream.

Sonia and she sat in her suite looking out the window for hours, chatting excitedly about all the tours they would take, the culture they would be diving into, and, of course, they spoke of Marc Jacobs and all the opportunities that would surely branch from it all.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Sonia's phone began vibrating, rattling the glass table beneath it.

Aurora and Sonia looked to it with innocent curiosity.

The caller I.D read: _Blocked_ , and the location below it read: _Dannemora, NY_.

Aurora felt her stomach drop, and all the air in her lungs escaped past her lips.

* * *

 **I want to offer my sincerest apologies for having seemingly dropped off the face of the earth for a while! I'm on break from school right now, though, which means that I have all the time in the world to type out more chapters. Thank you to those who have stuck with this story; I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions!**


	6. The Louvre

_"_ _Don't answer that."_

 _Aurora's eyes met Sonia's with both fear and anger._

 _"_ _Aurora, you know that I should. What if-"_

 _"_ _No! Don't answer that!" Her voice rose with anger, the small brunette standing and pushing her chair back aggressively. Sonia opened her mouth to argue, her eyes wide with upset._

 _Aurora backed up, shaking her head from one side to the other slowly. The buzzing of the table burned itself into her ears, penetrating her brain and rattling her thoughts. They slammed off one another, jumbling and twisting and smacking together. Her heartrate picked up, her vision blurring; she bit her bottom lip until the blood filled her mouth. She nearly gagged on it._

 _Sonia slammed her hand down onto the phone, ignoring the call._

 _The suite fell silent._

* * *

Days turned to weeks, and soon enough, Aurora had fallen into a semi-comfortable pattern in Paris. She understood very little of what was spoken to her, she had gotten lost at least ten times, and she was still extremely wary of their delicacies, but she was trying. She wanted to love it there; she wanted to pick up their language with ease, she wanted to fall in love with their cuisine, she wanted to live a glamorous life like all the other French models.

But it just wasn't falling right.

And despite her greatest efforts, she could not ignore the ever-looming feeling of longing for Carlisle's company. She knew it was silly- to focus on a man when all her dreams were coming true. If Sonia heard her even breathe such a thing, she'd have her head on a platter.

But, there were some days where the dull ache in her chest rendered her unable to breathe for a moment. Her mind would flash to Carlisle, panic and yearning washing over her. It was as if she could actually _feel_ his presence in times like that. Reality would come crashing in, though, and the logical part of Aurora's brain would tell her that it was merely her imagination; she was just being silly, and she needed to focus on her work.

Things with Marc Jacobs were going, well, _satisfactory_. The hours were grueling, the photographers were very French and very rude to her when she couldn't understand them, and Sonia was breathing down her neck about perfection 24/7. The other models didn't speak to her, and frankly, she didn't want them to.

Aurora, with disappointment, felt herself growing bitter whilst in Paris. She was crabby from the moment that she woke up until the moment that she went to bed, she found herself snapping at Sonia more often, and she sparsely spoke to anyone. She had been there almost a month, and she already hated the person she was becoming.

A bitter model wasn't who she wanted to be; it had never been who she wanted to be. Aurora was a happy human being: she giggled frequently, she smiled almost all the time, and she was genuinely fascinated and in awe of most things she encountered. She was happy to be alive. And then suddenly, in the city and situation that should've been bringing her the most happiness, she was miserable. It just didn't seem right. She was disappointed in who she was becoming, and she needed to do something about it.

"Sonia, do you think that I could go exploring on my next day off? We've been here almost a month, and I've barely seen Paris at all."

Sonia glanced up from her coffee, her eyes flittering about the young girl's face. She couldn't help but notice the purple bags beginning to form beneath her dark eyes nor the way that her cheekbones somehow seemed more dominant. Aurora had always had an angular face, though something about it seemed very different.

Aurora seemed very different.

She pondered the thought for a moment, and she slowly nodded, "I think that'd be good for you. A day off never hurts."

Aurora felt herself grinning as she took a sip of her tea. She looked out the window beside her, her eyes scanning across the horizon. A plane flew overhead, and her stomach twisted with excitement.

The following day was the first day off that she had had in nearly two weeks. She slept in until 8:30 a.m. in comparison to her required 4:30 a.m. wake-up time for work. She meandered about the suite for some time, taking time to make herself a cup and tea and dote upon her makeup; it felt like ages since she had last done it herself. She laid out and put on a new outfit that she had bought in her first week there. Despite all the negatives that she could put on a list about Paris, the fashion was not one of them.

Before Sonia could find her, Aurora scurried out of the hotel and into the brisk morning air. For a moment, she simply stood on the sidewalk, looking up into the bright sky, breathing in deeply, allowing the air to fill her lungs and leave a small chill in her chest. She smiled.

After the previous night's research session, she found herself headed towards the Louvre Museum. A famous location that all tourists dreamed of seeing, _and_ they were currently showing masterpieces of the Leiden Collection.

Her brown eyes traveled up the architecture, the fine handiwork of the French culture, and she immediately felt ashamed in herself for having not gone to visit such beauty previously. She had been so ungrateful of the endless treasures just waiting to be discovered by her.

She entered the museum and paid for admission, scraping her brain for as much French language as she could. The workers raised eyebrows as she fumbled over her words and undoubtedly made a mockery of herself, and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks when she finally received her ticket.

She shook off the uncomfortable encounter; she was there to enjoy herself.

An hour passed, and she had just barely finished exploring the Ground Floor. There were two below and two above, and she reveled in the fact that she would have a whole day of exploration ahead of her.

She had never seen such eloquent work before; the stories of the art, the deeper meanings, the reasons, it all overwhelmed her, though it filled her with excitement. Never in her wildest dreams as a child would she have been able to think that she would one day be standing where she was then.

For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to become lost within the world around her. Her eyes scanned over each work of art for probably triple the time of a normal person. She was soaking it all in; God knew the next time that she would ever be in the presence of such artwork.

She was on the Lower Ground Floor when a portrait stopped her in her tracks. The " _L'Europeenne"_ stuck out to her in the oddest of ways, the young woman's dark eyes entrancing her and rendering her unable to move her feet. A gold cloak adorned the woman's body, her eyes flittering to the right as to never truly look at her observers.

Aurora read the art description to the side, somehow growing even more fascinated by the woman. Her eyes scanned across the words, conveniently translated to English, and one sentence seemed to flash more brightly than the others.

" _The shine of gold, resembling that of the sun, made it a magical metal, a symbol of_ _ **immortality**_ _."_

 ** _Immortality._**

"Devine, isn't she?"

The sound of his voice ripped the air from her lungs.

It couldn't be real.

She stood in bewilderment, unable to move or even breathe.

It was him; it _had_ to be him.

Regaining her composure, Aurora turned around.

Carlisle's golden eyes met hers.

* * *

 **I'd like to start out with apologizing for both the long wait on this next chapter as well as the short length of it. However, I will be posting the next chapter very soon, as I'm so excited for things to start getting exciting! I want to thank those who have stuck with it so far; I'm looking forward to share the rest with you all soon.**

 **A fun fact about this chapter: The "** ** _L'Europeenne_** **" is a real piece of artwork in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. I researched the entire museum in search of the perfect place for Carlisle to show up, and I finally found her. The description of this piece discusses her youthful beauty and how fascinating she is, and I thought that this fit perfectly with how Carlisle sees Aurora. The sentence discussing gold and immortality is right from the website description of the piece, and I also thought that it all tied together incredibly with the story. I highly recommend going online and checking it all out!**

 **Thank you again, everyone!**


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